Archive for Dips

This is definitely going to be the Summer of dips! I’ve been playing around with so many combos recently and this one stands out so I want to share I made it this weekend for a friends son’s birthday party and the bowl was licked clean (always a good sign!) And the best reason for making dips from scratch?? No crazy chemicals in those little packets or bottles! Did you know that most of those packets have MSG (blah!) in them??? Well, here’s a super simple recipe that I hope will please your crowd. And if you notice, yes, I serve this dip and most others with potatoes. They are simply boiled potatoes, but they are one of my favorite dippers! It’s like having deconstructed potato salad Hope you enjoy!

Did you see my Vine of this recipe? I did it in less than 10 seconds. If you missed here it is:

Caramelized Onion, Spinach, & Avocado Dip aka “Green Dip”

1 vidalia or sweet onion, diced

8 oz. spinach, chopped

juice of 1/2 lemon

2 avocados, smashed well or whipped in a food processor

1 tbsp.-3 tbsp. vegenaise (or mayo if you like), if you need to smooth it out more

1 tsp. paprika

salt & pepper to taste

Caramelize the onion. In a frying pan on medium high heat, add the onions and about a tbsp. of olive oil. Saute until soft, then turn the temperature down to medium low and let Dr. Caramel do his thing Which means stir every minute or so for about 15 minutes or until the onions develop a caramel color.

While your onions are caramelizing, combine the spinach, lemon juice, and whipped avocados in a large bowl, add the onions when ready and stir. Add vegenaise if it needs to be a little creamier. Stir in the paprika, salt, and pepper. Chill and enjoy!

Sitting in my kitchen the other day I was thinking of how to put a twist on old classic recipes (as I often do)… I was thinking of staple “Americana” party food. Mexican 7-Layer dip was on the list. Now I’ve heard of people making a greek version with hummus and etc… but what about an Italian version? It got my wheels turning and when it was finished, I love it! I brought it to a party and the bowl was practically licked clean! It’s a festive looking dish, but it’s definitely going on my year-round roster. I hope you enjoy!

Italian Layer Dip

Serves 4-6 (easily double for a larger party)

Bean layer:

2 15oz. cans of white beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp -1 tbsp. olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

-with your hands or potato masher, combine the ingredients and smash beans until they are re-fried beans consistency. Add olive oil as necessary to thin.

Olive layer:

5 oz. black olives chopped

Roasted Red Bell Peppers layer:

2 red bell peppers, roasted, cooled, peeled, and chopped

Artichoke layer:

16 oz. of marinated artichokes, rinsed and chopped

Pesto layer:

1 bunch of basil (about 30 leaves)

1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

2 cloves garlic

1/4 tsp. salt

a couple grinds of fresh black pepper

-Puree in a food processor (you can also sub out your favorite store bought pesto)

Tomato layer:

2 large roma tomatoes, diced and seeds discarded

1 tsp sugar

3 tsp. balsamic vinegar

-toss together in a bowl.

Garnish:

a few leaves of basil, thinly sliced

What you’ll do:

Assemble in serving bowl (I like using clear so guests can see the layers). Apply the layers in order above starting with the bean spread and ending with the basil leaves. Served chilled.

*You can easily make all the layers the day before and assemble the day of your event

This is a perfect spread for a Holiday party! It’s simple to make and can stay in your fridge for a week. Your house will smell amazing when this is cooking!

Apple Cranberry Chutney

What you’ll need:

1/2 cup water

1 1/4 cup sugar

12 oz. fresh cranberries

2 granny smith apples, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/8 tsp. cloves

1/4 tsp. allspice

What you’ll do:

Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a sauce pot. Boil for 2-3 minutes or until sugar is fully dissolved. Add cranberries, apples, onion, raisins, brown sugar, vinegar, and spices. Mix well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and let simmer uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until super thick, stirring every few minutes. Chill and keep up to a week. (I actually prefer the taste after it’s sat a day or two)

Holy cow! We’re two days away from December! This time of year always make me think of the amazing Holidays I’ve spent with my family on the East Coast. I thought I’d share one of my favorite recipes from my Great Aunt Rose. This is her recipe for Caponata a delicious vegetable spread that’s perfect for Holiday parties and family dinners!

Aunt Rose’s Caponata

What you’ll need:

3 medium eggplants, diced into 1/2 inch pieces

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup tomato puree

2 tbsp. sugar

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

3 stalks celery, diced

1/4 cup sliced black olives

3 tbsp. chopped parsley

2 tbsp. capers

salt and pepper to taste

What you’ll do:

Saute the eggplant in a large frying pan with a little olive oil and salt until it’s soft. Set aside.

In another large frying pan, saute the onion with a drizzle of olive oil. Saute 2 minutes. Add the tomato puree and sugar and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and saute another 2 minutes. Add in the eggplant, celery, olives, and capers. Saute another couple minutes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight. Serve at room temp.

With Summer here, take the time to enjoy all the produce it has to offer! Heirloom tomatoes are one of my favorite things about the season! The bright, beautiful flavors of them can be savored in this simple, yet super tasty bruschetta!

Are you one of those sweet savory people like me? Sometimes I just crave chocolate covered pretzels or salted chocolate chip cookies! I find the sweet savory combo so addicting. This is the flavor combo I was craving yesterday when I saw some salsa and peaches in the fridge. It may sound weird, but it's delicious! And no, I didn't invent this, plenty of companies have been putting fruit in their salsas forever, I just thought I'd share and try to convince you to give it a try if you haven't yet. And I much prefer cutting up my own fruit as opposed to that jellied stuff floating in a jar of salsa.

This is also the easiest way to cut the heat of a salsa if you accidently bought one that was too spicy! Just dice up your peach into bite size pieces and stir in. Fruits like mango and pineapple are also fabulous add ins. So next time you are making salsa, don't be afraid to add something a little sweet!

Growing up in So Cal, I eat A LOT of guacamole!! It’s one of my favorite foods ever! I’m always striving to create different versions of this perfect food! Sun-dried tomatoes add a pop of sweetness to this spicy and savory guacamole. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Fun in the Sun Guacamole

Makes about 2 cups

What you’ll need:

1/2 yellow onion, finely diced

2 ripe avocados

1/4-1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil!)

a handful of cilantro, chopped

1 jalapeno, minced (with ribs and seeds if you like it spicy and take them out if you don’t)

1/8 tsp. chile lime salt (if you can’t find it, use the juice from 1/2 lime and a sprinkle of dried ground chile)

What you’ll do:

Put the diced onion in a medium bowl and sprinkle with a little salt. (the salt will help draw some of the bitterness out of the onion.) Peel and de-pit the avocados, dice them and add them into the onions. Smash with the back of a fork. Fold in the tomatoes, jalapeno and cilantro; then season with the chile lime salt to taste.

Serve with chips or for a low-fat option, serve with jicama, cucumber or celery!

Ok, don’t ever buy one of those “ranch” dressing dips ever again! It’s so yummy and easy to make one from scratch! And super bonus is no yucky chemicals! You are going to love this and it’ll be the hit of your next party!

Leslie’s “Ranch” Dip

What you’ll need:

1 cup of vegan sour cream

1/2 cup veganaise or mayonaise

a huge handful of fresh spinach {about 10 oz.}, chopped

a big handful of fresh parsley, chopped

2 handfuls of fresh dill, chopped

about 1/2 cup chopped chives or green onions

Salt and pepper to taste

Paprika to sprinkle on top

What you’ll do:

Stir all ingredients except for the paprika in a bowl well. Serve immediately or refrigerate overnight. Sprinkle some paprika on top to garnish. Serve with your favorite veggies.

Just when you thought I was out of pumpkin recipes, here you go! I love this dip! It makes for the perfect appetizer or dessert. You'll definitely want to break this out for your fall and winter parties!

Pumpkin Dip

What you'll need:

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup canned pumpkin

about a tsp. of cinnamon

about a tsp. of powdered sugar

What you'll do:

In a mixing bowl, stir all the ingredients. Season to taste. Enjoy with graham crackers, shortbread or ginger cookies.

I don't know if there is a person on earth left that hasn't tried or made spinach artichoke dip, but how can you resist? It's so good! Whenever I make this for a crowd, I always have to place it at the opposite side of a party from me or I'm afraid I'd eat the whole thing : )

So, whether you have your own recipe for this or not, this is the way I make it and I hope you enjoy!

Spinach Artichoke Dip

What you’ll need:

1 14oz can of Artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 10oz package of frozen spinach, thawed and strained or fresh spinach that has been cooked, drained and chopped

1 cup mayonnaise or veganaise

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 ½ cups shredded Monterey jack cheese

Options that I add in when I feel like it: 1/2 diced purple onion, a dash of cayenne pepper, or some diced water chestnuts.